3.1 Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
3.2 General Tips
3.2.1 Choice of Attacks - Part I
3.2.2 Choice of Attacks - Part II
3.2.3 Choice of Weapon
3.3 Opponent-Specific Tips
3.3.1 Spiders
3.3.2 Hoppers (a.k.a. Critters)
3.3.3 Zombies
3.3.4 Zombie Knights
3.3.5 Goblins
3.3.6 Orcs
3.3.7 Traitor Knights
3.3.8 Skeletons
3.3.9 Trolls (a.k.a. Ogres)
3.3.10 Minotaurs
3.3.11 Golems
3.3.12 Ghouls
3.3.13 Chaos Knights
3.3.14 The Necromancer
3.3.15 Meskalamdug
3.3.16 Dal Gurak
3.3.17 The Chaos Child
This section contains information about enemies that appear throughout the entire game. If you do not wish to spoil any of the surprises, then click here to return to the main page. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
The more I play BOD, the more I am able to break down what works and what doesn't into some more concrete examples. The following sections deal with the general tips that I have culled thus far from my experiences. They (hopefully) reflect a certain amount of thoughtful care in analyzing the situations I've had to face during my travels thus far in the world of BOD.
The choice of which attacks to use involves essentially three factors: (1) the set of available attacks, (2) the enemies that one is facing and (3) the surrounding environment. Regarding (1), it should be obvious that some characters will make this choice easier because they have a more narrow palette of options from which to draw. While all of the characters are capable of executing only one weapon-specific combo at a time, for the obvious reason that a character can use only one weapon at a time, some characters have more special abilities than others. When playing Zoe, for example, she has only two special abilities in sharp contrast to Sargon's much broader palette. Regarding (2), I shall provide tips for each of the specific opponents encountered in the game in other sections. Regarding (3), while the terrain in BOD is ultimately too varied to provide an exhaustive analysis, I shall nevertheless attempt to say something useful about it in conjunction with (1) and (2) by collapsing all three of these factors into a matrix of four possibilities.
Having said this, the question that first weighs most heavily on my mind when deciding which attacks to employ is this: what can I get away with in the present situation? That is perhaps an overly conservative approach to combat, but BOD is realistic enough that getting hit is something to be avoided pretty strenuously in my estimation. Thus, the choice of which attacks to use is driven largely by the desire to do the most damage to the greatest number of opponents while maintaining the maximum margin of safety possible. Keep this in mind when reading the following suggestions.
With a couple of notable exceptions (e.g., Dal Gurak comes to mind), this is typically the easiest situation to face. With room to move, for example, Zoe is typically able to dodge just about any kind of attack with relative impunity. Even the slower moving characters can dodge more easily and not worry so much about getting stuck in a tight spot. Further, with a single enemy it's usually far simpler to execute the most devastating combos. In such a situation, I advise getting a feel for the enemy's attack patterns. Once the enemy launches an attack, dodge or side-step as necessary and follow up with one of the character's special abilities or even a weapon-specific combo if time permits.
This situation also lends itself to precision timing of combos. While it can be difficult to pull off certain combos against certain enemies, with many it is possible to back off to just the right distance and initiate a combo. If timed properly, the final killing strokes can be landing on the opponent at just the right time and place. I've found this particularly handy when facing opponents with (non-vampiric) shields, as nothing cracks a shield more quickly than a major combo. Note well that certain features of the terrain can make this easier than others. Fighting an enemy who is above the character on a flight of stairs is likely going to make it much easier to execute a combo than when fighting an enemy who is below the character on that same flight of stairs.
Summary: Facing a single enemy with unconstrained movement lends itself best to executing the deadliest combos. It also provides an only somewhat dangerous training ground for practicing the basic attacks and special abilities.
This is a common situation in BOD. Movement may be constrained by things as mundane as being in a small room or by things as unusual as fighting on a narrow bridge above a pool of lava. No matter what the constraints are, they affect combat most fundamentally by limiting the character's ability to dodge and get into good position. When facing a single enemy, the movement constraints are bothersome but not nearly so hazardous as with multiple enemies.
In this situation, I suggest being very careful about executing the weapon-specific combos. There is little more frustrating that executing that big combo and bringing down the bad guy only to find one's character toppling into lava. Remember: the characters move (usually forward) when executing many combos and can easily walk right off a narrow bridge and fall to their doom. In contrast, most of the special abilities require little movement and can be used more safely. Obviously, then, special abilities and basic attacks make better choices in such a situation.
Summary: Facing a single enemy with constrained movement lends itself best to using a character's special abilities and basic attacks. Dodging may be impossible, so well-timed side-stepping will likely be the best defense against the enemy.
In some ways this situation can be paradoxically easier than fighting a single enemy. This is most obviously the case when the opponents are of a mix such that they will turn on each other if they take "friendly fire". I've seen minotaurs and orcs kill each other, for example, after a blow intended for me hit one of my enemies instead. When facing such a situation, then, the very first rule is to keep the enemy bunched up tightly, and always where he can be seen. Do not let them come at you from more than one angle, or you'll likely get hit at the most inopportune moments, which can be pretty disastrous. Instead, try to keep all of the enemies as tightly bunched as possible to the character's front. This helps avoid unpleasant surprises and makes it much easier for them to hurt each other.
The second rule when facing multiple enemies is quite pragmatic, namely, take whatever steps are necessary to thin out the herd. With room to move, it is often possible to time the deadliest combos precisely enough that the killing blows land home on one or more opponents at just the right time and place. As an aside, this is incredibly satisfying. I've killed as many as three traitor knights with one major combo when executed properly, and the resulting scene is well worth the effort. If you've got a weapon with which you're particularly adept, then use it! Cut one or more down as quickly as possible to take off some of the pressure. Further, if the terrain permits, try to face the fiends one at a time. It is often possible, for example, to lure enemies in single-file through a door, beyond which they can more quickly be cut down without worrying so much about their friends being in the way.
Summary: When facing multiple enemies with unconstrained movement, try to use the major combos to cut down the enemy numbers. If they get too close, then dodge or use the character's special abilities to deliver a still-respectable amount of damage to one or more of the enemy. And of course if all else fails, run!
This is the player's worst nightmare. There is no more difficult situation to face in BOD than that in which the player must deal with multiple attackers, all potentially coming from different angles, while having little room in which to maneuver. And for better or for worse, this is not an uncommon situation—particularly as the game progresses. In one of the later levels, for example, there is a relatively tiny staircase with lava on either side from which the player is confronted by some rather nasty opponents.
The first rule in such a situation is this: get away from it if you can! If there is a larger room nearby or an area without the lava pits (or other constraints), then run toward it. You may end up facing still more enemies, but you're already facing too many as it is! If I'm going to go down fighting, I prefer to do it without getting bullied into a corner or falling into lava. On the staircase mentioned previously, for example, it is possible to duck quickly into a nearby larger room that makes that combat far simpler.
If it's impossible to improve one's situation, then it's likely to be a pretty tough fight. In most cases, it will be outright impossible to execute any of the major combos because they just take too long to pull off and are too easily interrupted—particularly if an enemy archer is nearby pelting the character with arrows. Instead, I suggest focusing intently upon shield use (if equipped) to disrupt enemy attacks, sidestepping attacks that cannot be blocked and getting down and dirty with the most basic of attacks as opportunities arise. If the situation allows it, employ some of the character's special abilities, especially those that are very quick to execute while bringing the weapon through a wide arc to contact as many foes as possible.
Summary: This is surely the worst of all situations. The fight will likely be a long one insofar as the most deadly combos are largely off limits. Plan to use the basic attacks and dodge like a madman. As circumstances permit, use the best special abilities you have.
There is another facet to considering which attacks to employ that has nothing to do with the kinds of factors mentioned in the previous section. Whereas the question to be answered in that section was "What can I get away with?", the question driving this section is instead: what am I trying to accomplish? The choice of which attacks to use involves not only the causing of damage, but the causing of damage to a specific location.
When facing an enemy with a shield, for example, the player can either try to crack the shield, which is a potentially risky business, or try to hit the enemy in an unprotected area. Knowing exactly what arc(s) will be transcribed by the character's weapon when attacking is vital to being able to dish out damage precisely where it needs to be done. Lest this seem too anal retentive—BOD is a video game, after all, and is supposed to be fun—there are some enemies in the game that are equipped with vampiric shields. Landing a combo in the wrong place may well crack such a shield, but it will very likely kill your character in the process!
So to consider the shield example, if you are going to try to crack the shield then the most devastating attack possible should be preferred. An attack that does more damage than a shield can absorb will shatter the shield and hurt the enemy, but an attack whose damage is absorbed completely stuns the player, which can be utterly disastrous. With all but the smallest and weakest of shields, a weapon-specific combo will be needed—if even that will suffice. On the other hand, the player could try to get around the shield, as I often do. This is entirely possible by using attack + left, sometimes attack + down or by using a character's special abilities or weapon-specific combos that have a left to right stroke.
Note well: shields aren't the only reason this is important. When facing multiple enemies, for example, it may be possible, given the arc of a specific combo, to nail both of them at once. One good example of this would have to be the Dark Star combo that Zoe can perform with a Cross-Tipped Spear. I consistently found this combo to be very useful for its long-ranged, broad sweeping stroke. I used it a great deal to swing across multiple enemies if they were at just the right angle.
In general, when facing an enemy or some group of enemies, be sure to consider where you want to hit them just as much as you consider how you want to hit them. These two facets are quite inseparable in BOD because of the way the combat system works, and you'll be a better player for keeping both in mind.
The choice of weapon flows naturally from the type of enemies faced and from the choice of attacks to use against them. The point, of course, is to inflict the maximum possible damage with each attack. When fighting fleshy enemies, use cutting weapons. When fighting stone, bone or metal enemies, use bashing weapons. When fighting certain special enemies (e.g., fire golems, ice golems, etc.), use the appropriate opposite weapon if one is available; e.g., the Ice Sword can generally kill a fire golem with a single combo.
Aside from the general weapon-class suggestions, one should also consider the sort of attacks that will be used. Will you be using the weapon-specific combos? If so, then you'll want to select the weapon with whose combo you are most proficient that does the most damage. It does little good, for example, to be using the Scimitar if you cannot reliably execute its combo, which can be a bit tricky. Are you using the character's special abilities or basic attacks instead? Then I suggest using whatever weapon you have on hand that does the most damage. When playing as Zoe, for example, you might be quite proficient with the Cross-Tipped Spear's combo, but her Whirlwind attack with the Demon Spear seems to do as much or more damage while being faster and much more reliable.
I'm not sure what the official names are for... well... any of the enemies in BOD. The names I'm using have been obtained from reading posts in the forums and reading the only walkthrough of which I'm aware. If someone knows the official names and wishes to correct me, click here to email me about it, and I'll update the site. Until then, however, I'm going to stick with the names that I have and simply describe the creatures in such a way that there will hopefully be no confusion.
The following discussion gives the tactics for each creature that I have found to be most helpful in facing them with the various characters. Further, the order in which the creatures are listed represents the order in which I take the game designers to have intended their difficulty to increase. I base this ranking upon observations of how early in the game each creature appears as well as the relative amounts of experience gained for killing them. In all honesty, I find some of the allegedly "tougher" creatures to be easier to deal with than their weaker colleagues, but you'll have to ponder such rankings in the privacy of your own thoughts.
The toughest aspects to dealing with spiders are (1) seeing them, and (2) hitting them. Because they are so small and darkly colored, they are typically quite difficult to notice. Further, because they are so low to the ground, most attacks will simply miss them completely. Spiders are typically found in the grassier portions of caves or in certain storage areas inside the various structures in the game.
To kill them, I suggest facing them, locking on and using a low swing, triggered by attack + down. It is possible to hit them with direct, downward swings as well (such as Nagflar's attack + forward), but they require much more precision in aiming (or timing) this way. Fortunately, spiders do no serious damage when they hit, though they can poison the character.
These little guys remind me of tiny, mutant, teething children. When they spy you from a distance, they come running toward you until they are close enough to initiate their attack sequence, which consists of a series of hops that brings them close enough to bite. They are smallish creatures, standing only a couple of feet high at most and have a mottled, flesh-colored skin. Hoppers are typically found in storage areas and most often in mines or caves.
Much like spiders, these guys can be tough to hit with standard attacks. I suggest locking on and waiting until they've closed enough to begin their first hop, then initiating a low swing using attack + down. This usually lops off their heads just as they've landed from their second hop. The timing depends, of course, on the weapon used; e.g., Zoe should start sooner, whereas Nagflar should wait longer. Don't worry, though, if they get close enough to bite they don't do that much damage. At that point, simply back off and try again or keep swinging.
Zombies are about as easily dealt with as recognized. What's left of their stringy flesh is a pale gray. One can only presume that the blank expressions on their faces reflect their general lack of intelligence. They move slowly, moaning sometimes, and only some of them bother to carry weapons. Whether they are armed or not, they can all vomit the nasty contents of their undead stomachs in the player's direction, which results in a mild case of poisoning. Zombies are typically found in graveyards, crypts, underground passages and in murky, subterranean pools of water. In these areas, the crunching sound of topsoil being broken usually means zombies (or possibly skeletons) are on the way.
When zombies appear, do what any sensible hero does: run in and mow them down immediately with extreme prejudice! If there is anything I've learned in my years of video gaming, it's that the undead deserve neither respect nor quarter. If you run toward them quickly enough they will frequently not have time to attack. Their thoughts apparently move through what's left of their minds at roughly glacial speed. If you hesitate and they begin to swing a weapon or vomit, however, sidestep and then launch the attack of your choice. These guys are no threat at all, really, though they are good for practicing combos.
Zombie knights are a dressed-up and tougher version of Zombies. Maybe it's an evolutionary thing; i.e., the "healthiest" of the undead manage to beat out the others for all the best gear! Whatever the explanation, though, they look like zombies dressed up in armor and generally carry better weapons and sometimes shields. Zombie knights are typically found in more "upscale" undead hangouts (e.g., towers belonging to malignant sorcerers, the depths of the Abyss, etc.).
Zombie knights are tougher to handle only insofar as they have more hit points. Just like regular zombies, close the distance quickly and take them out immediately. They too make great practice dummies for honing your combo skills. Just be careful to kill them before they have a chance to attack or vomit as they can do a more respectable amount of damage if you give them the chance.
Goblins are probably the most plentiful enemies in the game. They are also the most annoying in my estimation. I say this because, for whatever reason, they remind me of chickens. Their scrawny arms look strong enough to carry neither weapons nor shields, yet they come at you, clucking what sounds like a badly garbled challenge (i.e., "Come on!"). Despite their ridiculous appearance, however, they can pack more of a punch when wielding decent weapons. Their arsenals vary from clubs and swords (sometimes poisoned) to maces and bows (sometimes with poisoned arrows), and many of them carry shields, though usually of very low quality. Goblins can be found just about anywhere, though they are most plentiful during the early and middle portions of the game.
Handling goblins can be somewhat tricky, particularly when they come in packs, which happens often. If they can back you into a corner, which they are only too happy to do, two or more of them can beat on you so quickly that it's impossible either to move or fight back. That's not good. Thus, it's important not to let the goblins get the upper hand. When you dodge, keep in mind that backward isn't the only direction to move. This is particularly true of characters such as Sargon or Nagflar who have special abilities that may be triggered in conjunction with a dodge to the side.
The lower-level goblins have only a few attacks at their disposal and almost never try combos. They typically close to a certain distance, then wait for an opening before jumping forward and attacking with a swing straight down. Fighting these guys is pretty simple. As soon as they begin their jump forward, sidestep and whack them. If you're playing as Zoe, you can just keep dodging and hitting them until they're down—her Whirlwind special ability is particularly devastating for this purpose. When playing as other characters, try to keep a shield up toward them when not attacking or be sure to have one finger on the dodge keys. Both Nagflar and Sargon can use their dodging attacks to kill with almost a single swing.
The higher-level goblins are a bit tougher because they have more attacks at their disposal, some of which can do a fair amount of damage if they hit. What's more, they are less predictable than their lower-level brethren. One particularly troublesome combo involves the goblin whirling around in a complete circle, swinging his weapon somewhat wildly. If you see that one coming my best suggestion is to back off and avoid the damage, then follow up with an immediate riposte. Otherwise, just keep sidestepping and hitting as the opportunities arise.
Regarding choice of attacks, goblins make it difficult to pull off weapon-specific combos, as they move quickly enough that they can disrupt many of them. The major exception to this occurs when the player can successfully dodge to the side at the very beginning of a goblin attack, then follow it up with one of the faster combos. With a bit of practice, however, it is usually possible to invoke the more convoluted weapon-specific combos as well while the goblins are still closing. This requires timing it just right so that the final killing stroke comes down across their miserable, scrawny little bodies as they're about to attack. This will typically kill them or at least destroy any shields they might be carrying.
One final note is worth mentioning. Goblins sometimes carry health potions, though usually of a lesser variety (i.e., usually 50 HP vials or 150 HP potions). If a goblin is carrying one of these, I like to try getting off one good weapon-specific combo right from the outset to kill him. If that doesn't work, I try to stay in close enough to prevent his drinking it. After all, I might need that potion (grin).
In all honesty orcs give me the most trouble of the lesser opponents in the game. This is due in part to their weaponry, as orcs usually carry decent weapons and moderately tough shields. It is all too easy to get stunned for a moment when an orc blocks an attack. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that orcs are also pretty darned quick on the draw; i.e., they can usually score a hit while the player is stunned more often than not. The sole, reliable exception to this is Zoe, who can almost always dodge out of harm's way even when her attacks hit shield and not flesh.
Further, orcs have a somewhat diverse repertoire of attacks. The lower-level orcs are much like goblins, closing quickly and swinging straight downward. But make no mistake: they are less predictable than goblins. I've seen even the lowest-level orcs swing to the side, launch basic combos and just generally foul up my plans in too many ways. The higher-level orcs are much worse, sometimes launching one combo right after the other without first clearly telegraphing their moves. Reacting under these conditions takes split-second decision making to avoid harm.
When playing as Zoe, these guys are still not much of a threat because of her ability to dodge. It makes combat a bit more involved and a bit more frantic, but it keeps her out of harm's way. For Zoe, I suggest dodging whatever attacks come your way, then following up with a whirlwind or a basic attack. You will generally not get the opportunity to execute weapon-specific combos unless you're facing a single orc and can time it just right. Again, it's possible to pull off an initial major combo, which can be very useful for defeating the tougher orcs.
When playing as any of the other characters, you had better be ready to take some damage, either to your shield or your body. I suggest keeping that shield up and ready whenever you're not attacking. I cannot stress this enough: get that shield up and keep it in the orc's face(s)! When an opening presents itself, make the most of it. When playing as Sargon or Nagflar, use their dodging attacks to jump quickly to the side while striking an unprotected orc flank. Playing Tukaram is more challenging yet, of course, because of his disdain for shields, but his attacks generally do so much damage that it's possible to end fights with orcs before he comes to any serious harm.
Orcs carry health potions relatively frequently. If an orc is carrying one of these, I like to try getting off one good major combo right from the outset to kill him. If that doesn't work, I try to stay in close enough to prevent his drinking it for the same reasons given earlier. Finally, orcs get pissed off pretty easily. Almost anyone that hits them—even another orc—will find himself on the receiving end of their wrath. This is especially useful when facing multiple orcs. If possible, get them to turn on each other, then dish out your best combo when their backs are turned!
I believe the game designers intended traitor knights to be more threatening than orcs, but they actually seem simpler to handle as far as I'm concerned. It's true that they usually have better weapons and almost always have better armor and shields. It's also true that they are more cautious fighters who do not generally expose themselves to attacks. Still, they are pretty predictable and relatively slow by comparison. You'll easily recognize traitor knights as they are the only man-sized enemies in the game who wear armor and wield the same sorts of weapons and shields with which Sargon is most proficient. Traitor knights are most typically found in the public areas of castles, towers and such. Dal Gurak's tower is fairly crawling with them as they are his first line of defense, it seems.
Handling traitor knights is a bit tricky because of the variety in their attacks and because of their armor, most notably their tough shields. Unless you land a pretty robust combo on their shields, you're going to get stunned. And more often than not, they will strike home in that brief moment. In the later stages of the game, traitor knights carry some of the most devastating swords and maces in the game, so when they hit you'll know it. They also, not surprisingly, carry some of the toughest shields.
The best tip I have for handling these guys is to know which of your attacks can get around their shield. They are particularly susceptible to low swings and attacks from left to right, though straight downward swings will sometimes catch them off guard. Zoe can execute any number of right to left weapon-specific combos because of her speed, but the other characters will likely have to be a bit more cautious with traitor knights.
Don't be afraid to show a little initiative with these guys. As I said previously, they are somewhat cautious, and you can use this. Don't be afraid to dodge forward and invoke a left attack. This will often catch them off guard. If they wind up for the attack as you dodge, your best bet is to put up a shield or trying dodging again. In such cases, they're likely to hit, but you don't necessarily have to take damage from it.
Also, traitor knights have a rather appalling vulnerability as a result of their overconfidence. If you adopt a defensive posture long enough with a traitor knight, he will take a moment to laugh at your cowardice while waving his sword back and forth in a taunting fashion. You can use this to lull traitor knights into a false sense of security. As soon as he begins to chuckle, step forward and unleash the most devastating attack you can manage. The odds are in your favor that he will not be able to recover in time and personal tragedy of the classic Greek variety will soon follow his hubris.
Finally, traitor knights are likely to be your best source of healing potions in the game. Of course this assumes that you can prevent them from drinking said potions before they die, which isn't always easy. When you see a group of traitor knights closing for the kill, try to wound the knights who are not carrying potions as they will then drop back into a rear position so that you can take your best shot at the toughest remaining bad guy (i.e., the one with the potion). If you can take him down, then you can afford to be a little adventuresome during the rest of the combat as you've got that nifty healing potion—usually 500 HP, 1,000 HP or even a full life potion—lying on the floor.
I think the game designers intended skeletons to be somewhat tough. And I suppose they are tough at first, though they're ultimately quite predictable. Skeletons come in two basic flavors, regular and flaming (or "extra crispy" if you prefer). Neither variety is particularly distinguished on the field of battle, though the flaming varieties, as well as the skeleton king, are much tougher and hit harder. For what it's worth, skeletons are found throughout almost the entire game, though they do seem to be most at home in the same kinds of areas wherein one finds zombies.
For somewhat obvious reasons, slashing weapons and stabbing weapons aren't that effective against skeletons, for they have no flesh to rend. Rather, bashing weapons are their bane as a well-placed mace combo can usually bring down even the highest level skeletons. In other words, use maces, hammers, bos and the like against skeletons and you'll have a much easier time killing them.
Skeletons rarely carry shields, though it isn't unknown for them to do so, and frequently carry bows—often with poisoned arrows—in addition to a variety of swords, maces, etc. They are often found in packs of up to four or more and can be a real threat if they are coming at you from different angles. The first rule of fighting skeletons is to keep them bunched together where they will likely do more damage to each other than they will to you.
Skeletons seem to have two different approaches to combat. If you're not close enough to hit, then they close until they can begin a three-swing sequence. If you are incompetent or unlucky enough to get hit by that first swing, you are likely in for some serious pain. This is because the blow will likely stun you so that the remaining two swings also hit home. Forget about dealing with skeletons head-on. Fortunately, skeletons are pretty stubborn in their ways and do not adapt well to change. Once they start that three-swing sequence, you've got a fair amount of time to step out of the way and initiate attacks of your own. All of the major combos may be used with relative ease against skeletons under the right conditions, which is probably a good thing given their typical numbers.
If you are close enough to hit, however, then skeletons have several different attacks at their disposal, all of which are pretty hard to avoid unless you're playing as Zoe. Thus, if you're playing up close with any character other than Zoe, be sure to keep that shield up and ready or one hand on the dodge buttons. You'll need one or the other to avoid getting whacked. And believe me, nothing is more humiliating than getting whacked by the long-since undead—well, except maybe getting whacked by the recently undead, who are still newbies to the whole undead scene.
Trolls or ogres are pretty infrequent characters in BOD in my experience. They show up a couple of times at the Gorge of Orlok, and once at the end of Nagflar's opening level, but they seem otherwise largely confined to the couple of torture chambers encountered in BOD. Perhaps this should tell us something about troll habits? At any rate, trolls are identified pretty easily insofar as they are rather large and a bit slower than orcs. They wield very large weapons, usually maces or what appear to be huge meat cleavers. They stomp forward until in range and then start swinging, their moves bearing a striking resemblance to some of those employed by minotaurs.
Fighting trolls is particularly easy when playing as Zoe. She is literally quick enough to run in, strike and dodge backward out of harm's way before the troll's swing can get started. Still, the more efficient way to dispose of them when playing as Zoe is to let them begin their attack, then sidestep and unleash the most potent combo you've got. They will sometimes interrupt the fancier combos, but not usually before at least one of the killer strikes has hit home, and that's often enough to take them down.
When playing as the other characters, I urge more caution. Nagflar, in particular, seems somewhat poorly suited to face trolls because of his very limited ability to dodge and short arms/weapons. With Nagflar, troll-fighting is a close-in, sweaty brawl. This is similarly true to lesser degrees of Sargon and Tukaram. When playing these characters, I suggest trying continuously to outflank the troll. Keep heading for his back side, and while he is confused and trying to bring his weapon to bear, whack him until he yelps. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Fortunately, trolls seem to have some kind of aversion to shields, so they are relatively open to just about any attack. It's avoiding their own attacks that can be a bit tricky.
I'm not sure why, but I find minotaurs to be one of the easiest enemies in the game despite their intimidating appearance. Minotaurs look every ounce the part: they are huge, ugly and quite frightful in appearance. They are so large that the screen actually shakes as they stomp around trying to kill the player. Fortunately, they are also quite slow and—best of all—dumb as a post. Minotaurs can be found anywhere that death, torture and chaos are plentiful. They are sometimes harnessed by orcs (though they will happily tear orcs limb from limb when struck accidentally) and other enemies, and have a particular fondness for cruelty toward humans. One of the most engaging cut-scenes in the game involves a pair of minotaurs laughing as they drop helplessly caged, human prisoners into lava. Believe me, cutting that pair to ribbons is an experience not to be missed.
Anyway, minotaurs are easily the most mindless foes in the BOD bestiary, though I doubt seriously whether anyone but Dal Gurak himself or perhaps The Chaos Child would say it to their faces. Their attack patterns are the most predictable in the entire game in my estimation. When they are out of range, they stomp closer. When they are in range, they swing, either in a direct, downward stroke, a thrust forward or a set of lateral swings. Making them even easier to deal with is the fact that minotaurs stupidly attempt to bite the player after some of these attacks, which gives even more time in which to launch the deadliest combos in your repertoire.
Seriously, when you see a minotaur, have no fear. Let him stomp around and do his thing all he wants. Just be sure to whack him now and then until he eventually notices. There is a point in the Abyss when one must face two high-level minotaurs in relatively close quarters with a traitor knight archer nearby, and I still come out of that fight without losing a single hitpoint to the minotaurs almost every time. Just be patient and make your own openings. Then unleash the deadliest attacks you have.
Golems are a bit trickier than minotaurs in my book for two reasons: (1) their attacks are quicker, and (2) they have a ranged attack. Golems are pretty easy to identify. They are troll-sized enemies (i.e., quite large) whose pride in their physiques is obvious from their complete lack of attire. They don't seem to be entirely anatomically correct, which is probably a good thing, but their musculatures stand out rather clearly as do their menacing expressions. You'll probably hear and "feel" a golem before you see him in several cases, for the floors truly shake when these big boys are on the move. Golems crop up pretty frequently throughout BOD, though they are probably found most often in the various temples, castles and places more horrifying. They are sometimes dormant, standing as statues when first encountered, coming to life only when something awakens them. In short, watch your step when you see a statue because it just might be coming to smash you to a pulp in the near future.
Golems come in several flavors, most notably stone, flesh and metal, though fire and ice golems also make appearances in BOD. Weapon selection varies accordingly with the different types of golems. Slashing weapons are most potent against flesh golems, whereas bashing weapons are most potent against most of the others. Appropriately enough, fire golems are most susceptible to icy weapons (e.g., Sargon killed a fire golem with something like 31,000 HP with a single combo from the Ice Sword during my first game) just as ice golems are most susceptible to fiery weapons. And just for the record, poison seems not to affect them at all, regardless of their type.
Fortunately, they all fight the same. If you keep a golem at a distance, he will eventually grow frustrated and magically bring a lump of his own stuff into existence before hurling it at you. These lumps are relatively simple to dodge at long range, but when fighting more than one golem, it's a simple enough thing to get caught by surprise. And that's unpleasant as the projectiles hurled by golems do a respectable amount of damage.
Up close and personal with a golem, it's both safer and more dangerous. On the one hand, there is no reason to worry about projectile attacks. Yet on the other hand, golems don't telegraph their moves as badly as minotaurs or trolls and are much quicker in some of their attacks. Golems have a one-two downward punch, for example, that can really put a character's lights out in a big hurry if both blows land squarely. They also sport a downward, two-handed smash that is even more devastating, though easier to avoid.
Thus, fighting golems becomes a bit more of a dance. The key is to trick the golem into striking, then strike back while dodging his enormous fists. This isn't always easy, and you can expect to take some damage during most golem encounters. But with practice, you should be able to bring off most of the weapon-specific combos pretty reliably against the golems. In the plus column, golems in BOD make some of the most stunning cut-scene entrances. It's always nice to see an evil, magical creature have a sense of style along with the pride and professionalism he brings to his work.
Ghouls are just plain scary. Their horribly misshapen bodies suggest that these are beings that just shouldn't exist at all and really aren't comfortable with themselves in any sense of the term. Ghouls typically appear suddenly, though they are occasionally introduced with a cut-scene, and then rush to the attack, teleporting back and forth until they are in range. At least one of a ghoul's arms ends in a natural scythe, which does a fair amount of damage when (not if) he hits you. And to make matters worse, if you piss off a ghoul, he can stand outside the range of your weapons and breathe fireballs that stun you long enough for him to fire the next one if they hit. Fighting ghouls one at a time is bad enough, but they usually come in pairs... or more. Believe me, you'll know a ghoul when you see it. Fortunately, ghouls are found in only a few places. My first encounter with a ghoul occurred on the Island of Karum, after which they were largely absent (thankfully) until the latest levels in the game.
Handling ghouls is as much a matter of luck, I think, as it is skill. If you're playing as any character but Zoe, you'll have little choice in how to handle them. Your best bet is to wait until they've teleported "close enough", an admittedly but unavoidably vague distance, then launch into one of your more ornate special abilities or perhaps a weapon-specific combo. With luck, you'll be able to hit the ghoul between leaps, which ought to stun him long enough to do some damage. If you're unlucky, he'll stop dead in his tracks and start frying you with his fiery breath. In this case, there is little to do but try to dodge. You'll either get lucky and manage to get out of the way, in which case you should start circling him like crazy to avoid the flames, or he'll eventually tire of roasting you and move in for the kill.
In my experience, this is really the only way to handle ghouls because they are just too fast. If any character other than Zoe waits until he has teleported within weapons range, the ghoul strikes before it's possible to hit him. The only alternative I've found to date is to put up a shield and hope it holds, but this is hardly viable for long as ghouls don't hesitate to keep pounding until the shield is crushed. In short, it seems a pointless waste of a shield to me. Get used to it: unless you're startlingly lucky, you are going to take damage from ghouls. The only question is how much.
Even Zoe will take damage, but she can likely dispatch ghouls somewhat more safely through the method already discussed because of the greater range of many of her weapons. Further, Zoe is actually quick enough to wait until the ghoul materializes right next to her and begins to swing before dodging. If your reflexes are lightning fast and you choose the correct direction, Zoe can dodge beneath the swing of a ghoul's hideous arm and come up with time for a basic attack and possibly her Whirlwind as well. I had a marginal success rate with this method during my second time through the game but found the first method more reliable thanks to some of her more ornate combos.
Whichever approach you take, this much is certain: ghouls are one of the toughest of the greater enemies in the game. Approach them with caution and be ready to take some damage. The only factor working in your favor is that they are not usually very tough and can frequently be banished (not killed) with some of the more powerful weapons in a single combo.
If I had nightmares from BOD, chaos knights would likely be at the top of the list of enemies haunting my dreams. Chaos knights are just as recognizable and arguably more awe-inspiring than ghouls. They are huge, heavily-armored figures who magically summon enormous swords and full-body shields. They move very slowly and seem almost mechanical in their precision, but they are very tough, have a ranged attack and can deal out heavy damage—particularly with their combos. If you're playing as Sargon, you'll actually encounter a lone chaos knight in your very first level. I suspect the developers did this for the sheer amazement value for the demo. Whatever their motives were, it became clear to me very quickly that these guys were to be feared. Aside from this initial encounter, you'll fortunately find chaos knights again only in the Temple of Ianna and later levels.
Handling these guys is just plain hard. If you keep them at a distance, which isn't hard due to their slow speed, then they will hurl what appears very much like ball lightning. This attack does better than trivial damage, but the most troubling aspect is that the lightning balls track their target and are very hard to avoid. This can be a serious complication when dealing with more than one chaos knight at once. If one of them hangs back and keeps flinging this stuff, you're going to be hard pressed to get off a single attack while his colleague slices you to bits in a very big hurry.
On the other hand, if you try to fight up close, chaos knights will forget the ranged attack and simply swing their enormous swords. Their swords are long enough that none of the characters but Zoe, in my experience, can dodge effectively. Thus, facing chaos knights as Sargon, Nagflar or Tukaram is a matter of precision timing without room for so much as a single mistake. I do not exaggerate when I say that a chaos knight can cut down all but the highest level characters with a single combo. Take these guys very seriously.
Having said all that, though, there is hope. My first suggestion when facing chaos knights is to use whatever power potions you might have on hand. They are good candidates for it. Second, do your level best to stay circling at their flanks. They turn slowly enough, with all their immense bulk, so that it's possible to stay at their sides most of the time. This greatly enhances the odds of dodging their swings, though it's no guarantee of safety by any stretch of the imagination. Once the chaos knight begins an attack, strike from left to right with all the power you can muster. The shields these fellows carry seem nearly impossible to break (I've yet to see one crack with even the most powerful combos Sargon and Zoe can deliver), so there is no point in even trying. Just keep hitting them to the left (their right) and use the occasional low swing to cut at their legs. Never stop circling and try to pull off your best combos when they are going for a straight, downward swing.
As is a constant theme thus far, playing as Zoe gives you more choices. Zoe is the only character, I think, who can actually stay close enough to avoid the lightning balls while simultaneously being near enough to attack yet far enough away to reliably dodge a chaos knight's sword. Her biggest problem is delivering weapon-specific combos to her left in order to get by the chaos knight's shield. With a little practice, however, these enemies aren't nearly as intimidating when playing as Zoe as they are with the other characters.
Ask anyone who has played BOD, and you will get the same answer: the necromancer is the toughest opponent you will ever face, possibly the toughest in any video game to date. If you can beat this guy, then you can beat any opponent in BOD. His appearance is both frightening and deceptive all at once, which seems quite appropriate given his name. The necromancer appears as a man whose musculature has been turned inside-out. His form is slender compared even with Sargon, but make no mistake, he's anything but a pushover. The necromancer appears only three times in the game, the earliest appearance being at the very end of the Island of Karum. You'll get the chance to kill this shifty creature only if you collect all six runes and make it to near the very bottom of the Abyss, the last level in the game.
The necromancer is such a tough foe because he has it all. He is armed with a vampiric shield, which when struck head-on will steal health from the attacker and give it to the necromancer. The necromancer also carries a blood sword, which steals life from its targets, again giving it to the necromancer. He also features the most advanced combat tactics in the game. This guy is the closest thing to a real swordsman you'll face in BOD. He doesn't rush forward stupidly as do goblins and orcs, nor does he hold back cautiously or arrogantly as do traitor knights. No, the necromancer's attacks are precise, fast and measured. Further, his use of his shield is as effective as it is intelligent insofar as he lowers it from time to time in a seeming attempt to draw attacks that he can easily block, gaining health in the process, before typically slashing his foe quickly thereafter. As if all of this weren't bad enough, the necromancer is one tricky son of a gun. If the fight goes not well, then he will start "cheating". That is, he'll stop trying to beat you in anything resembling a straight-up, honorable fight and begin teleporting behind you to cut open your spine before you can react.
Do you get the feeling that the necromancer is the most fearsome foe in the game? If you don't yet have that feeling, let me add that the last time you face him, you'll do so within a sort of arena such that if you step outside, he will simply disappear until you step back into the arena, at which time he reappears at full health. Oh, and you have to beat him to continue onward. He cannot be avoided, only beaten. Afraid yet? Good. You should be.
Now that I've done my best to impress upon you the degree to which the necromancer deserves fear and respect, let me try to provide some insights that will make him a much easier foe to conquer. First, you must avoid hitting his vampiric shield directly for obvious reasons. Landing a major combo on that shield, for example, is suicide as all the damage you would normally do will be stolen from your health to be paid to him in life. If you're going to try to crack his shield, then you need to be more careful about it. In my experience, it seems that his shield can be broken indirectly as well by collateral damage it takes when attacking him from the side or from the rear. In all honesty, I suggest avoiding his shield altogether, however, as it isn't necessary to bring that shield down to kill him. Such a course of action requires precision, however, as well as a thorough understanding of the attacks your character can muster. Nevertheless, I find it the best option.
Second, when fighting the necromancer, you need to engage him in order to draw him out. You cannot so easily dodge his attacks as with other foes because of his style and the size of his weapon. Thus, you need to be very careful when feinting in order to draw a riposte. Try to stay at oblique angles to the necromancer while keeping a shield up for protection if equipped. Throw a left attack or a low swing from time to time when close in the hope of catching him off guard. Don't even bother trying to get off a combo at the outset, or you'll regret it. I can virtually guarantee that he will disrupt it and cut you in the process. Once the necromancer begins to cut loose with one of his more involved attacks, then strike home or invoke the fastest special ability your character can employ. You will likely take damage in the process if you're playing as any character other than Zoe, but you'll surely do more damage than he does.
Third, if you manage to wound the necromancer sufficiently (the critical point seems to be when he's dropped to around 1,000 HP or less), he'll suddenly stand still and begin to cross his arms over his chest. When this happens, don't take time to think, just react! Jump forward instantly at least once, maybe twice. The sneaky bugger will teleport right behind you, and if you're not quick enough you can imagine where he'll be sticking his sword an instant later. At this point, you're almost in the clear, so don't panic, but don't let your concentration flag for even a moment or you'll be on the receiving end of a cut that will likely restore much of his health.
At this point you have a couple of options. The necromancer teleports around quickly enough that this phase of combat can be really annoying if you keep jumping forward to get clear and turn before attacking. This is complicated by the fact that you lose your combat lock every time he teleports. If you're going to go the safest route, then keep jumping forward as he teleports. Occasionally he will be willing to engage you briefly before teleporting again, and you will need to make the most of these opportunities to put your weapons into his flesh. If you stay this course, the necromancer will eventually be vanquished, though it might take a while. This is how I handled him my very first time as Sargon, and although I did beat him on my very first attempt, it took roughly fifteen minutes of real-time to do it. What a rush that was!
Alternately, each of the characters has a special ability acquired relatively early in the game that is useful for turning and striking to the rear quickly. This ability can be a serious life-saver when dealing with the necromancer, though it does open one to attack and is thus not as safe as jumping forward. Still, if you're willing to take some damage, this method can bring combat to a resolution much more quickly. The timing is different for each character, but the principle is the same: when the necromancer begins to teleport, invoke this special ability. If your timing is correct, you'll be swinging into him just as he rematerializes behind you with predictably pleasant results. The hard part is then dodging before he can steal back some of the health you just cost him. As always, this is much simpler with Zoe. When I faced the necromancer for the last time with Zoe, I was able to cut him down without losing a single hit-point, though the battle was still pretty intense.
Meskalamdug is almost the final obstacle on the path to defeating Dal Gurak. What's more, Dal Gurak summons Meskalamdug personally when you've made it near to the top of his foul tower. It isn't particularly clear to me precisely what Meskalamdug is supposed to be, aside from a huge, ugly, magical cross-breeding accident between a lobster with glandular defects and some kind of denizen of the lower planes. You won't have any problem recognizing this guy as he's one of a kind. Besides, Dal Gurak will introduce the two of you personally. It's the little touches like this that separate an evil mastermind from your run-of-the-mill bad guy, isn't it?
Meskalamdug can seem pretty intimidating at first, but if you've made it this far and beaten the necromancer, you shouldn't have any problem, if only you bear a couple of things in mind. First, this guy's body is big and strong enough, but he isn't all that bright. And second, Meskalamdug is slow enough to use your best combos against him, which is probably a good thing given his rather high number of hit points. I don't suggest fighting in close quarters with any character other than Zoe because Meskalamdug packs a serious wallop. If he hits you, you'll know it. In fact, you'll probably die instantly from a direct hit. Thus, I suggest instead circling him at a distance just far enough to avoid his claws, which will prompt him to use his fiery breath. Once he starts blowing fire, close in quickly and let off your best combo. You'll likely have time to finish and maybe even dodge his counter-strike, though I would suggest keeping a shield up just in case.
In short summary, Meskalamdug might look intimidating, but he ultimately provides only grist for the adage mill: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. He isn't particularly difficult to beat once you've seen his bag of tricks and adapt your strategy accordingly.
In all honesty, I find Dal Gurak to be somewhat of a disappointment. True enough, he's not the final boss. And true enough, he is supposed to be primarily a sorcerer. But he represents an approach to game design that I abhor, namely, the learn-the-trick-or-die school of thought. To be more explicit, until you've figured out the trick to beating him, you're just screwed, plain and simple. Once you've got the trick, you can put him down like an anemic kitten without much effort. It's kind of pathetic really. And to make matters worse, after you've spent the whole game honing your melee skills, you'll likely find them to be completely useless during this encounter. Perhaps I'm being overly harsh, but I was looking forward to the hand-to-hand fight of my life and instead got something completely different and much less interesting.
First, let's take a look at the facts. Dal Gurak is one intimidating customer on paper. If you get too close to him, he teleports away, and "too close" means pretty much any distance from which you could launch a melee attack. In other words, it's near impossible to hit the guy with the melee weapons you've come to know and love throughout the game. Worse still, even if you do manage to hit him, which probably requires taking a fair amount of damage in the process as I'll get to in a moment, you'll not hurt him. Dal Gurak has a magical shield that takes quite a licking before it stops ticking. I can guarantee you this much: you won't put his shield down with melee attacks before you're dead.
All the while you're running around like an idiot trying to hit this guy, of course, he's not just standing there idle. Not at all. Rather, he is all the while casting one of two magical attacks. One attack looks much like the more devastating of the two combos possible with the fully rune-powered Sword of Ianna. It is a reddish-colored wave of magical energy that does quite a bit of damage. Being hit head-on with one or two of these is enough to kill any character, and ol' Dal can cast them one right after another. His other attack is to summon a green, glowing ball not entirely dissimilar from the lightning ball attacks of the chaos knights. Also similar to the chaos knights' ranged attack, this green, glowing ball will track its target. Fortunately, it doesn't do nearly the same amount of damage as the reddish-colored attack, but it will kill you eventually just the same, and ol' Dal doesn't seem to tire of casting it.
The first time I faced Dal Gurak, I became convinced pretty quickly that I was well and truly screwed, and that he was simply unbeatable. I did my best to avoid his magic but still never managed to hit him more than once or twice at most, and his shield held firmly in each case. It didn't seem to matter what I did. Then I had a flash of inspiration: what if I tried to hit him with arrows, then dodge his magical goop? I quickly reloaded and readied my bow. As he cast his magic, I noticed that the reddish thing could be dodged pretty easily. I also discovered that the green glowing balls moved slowly enough (and stupidly enough) so that if I did my best to put a wall between me and the magic, it would dissipate against the wall without hurting me. "Aha," I said to myself, "I've got this guy licked!"
Boy was I wrong. I eventually stepped out from behind my cover, took aim and let an arrow fly. I was promptly "rewarded" with a bug in the pre-patch version of the game. What appears to be a Python (the programming language used to script much of the game) debugging window popped up and asked me to input a value. No matter what I entered, however, I was stuck; the game would not continue and the window would pop up again. (sigh) The only possible way out of this mess couldn't be used because of a bug. Oh goody. I didn't know it at the time, but I was on the right track. You do have to hit Dal Gurak using a ranged weapon, but you'll run out of arrows with the bow, I suspect, long before his shield is down—even with the patched version of the game.
The obvious question, then, is this: what other ranged weapon is there? The answer is as silly as it is obscure: the Sword of Ianna. Yes, you read that correctly, I said the Sword of Ianna. In BOD, you see, the Sword of Ianna is essentially a huge, glowing boomerang. If you throw or drop the Sword of Ianna, it will always return to your hand. That's a neat and entirely unexpected trick, don't you think? It would never in a million years have occurred to me to try throwing a sword at him. Thus, getting this "trick" is essentially the only thing to be learned. Once you realize that the Sword of Ianna can be thrown without requiring you to go pick it up, you can duck out of cover, throw it at him a couple of times, then dodge his fire. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Knowing this ahead of time, try throwing the sword at him repeatedly when he first appears and just stands there staring at you. In my experience, you can just about bring his magic shield down before he teleports for the first time.
Eventually, Dal Gurak's magical shield will come down, and he'll come out to face you personally. At this point, he stops hurling the green, glowing balls as near as I can tell. Rather, he adopts a three-tiered strategy to combat. If you're too far away, he'll continue to cast the devastating red spell. This is a problem as he is now mobile; i.e., whereas he would previously stand in place and do his thing, he will now come after you, which makes it much more difficult to avoid his magic. If you're at a median range, then he will hurl his double-sword at you which, in a bizarre kind of symmetry, also acts as a boomerang, literally flying out from his hand and returning. Getting struck with this sword not only hurts, it also poisons you and that is never a good thing. Finally, if you're close enough to hit, Dal Gurak will engage in melee combat with you and will quite likely cut you down almost instantly. His moves look suspiciously similar to those employed by the necromancer, though he seems to be faster and does more damage.
At this point, I suggest one of two strategies, both of which rely upon one observation, namely, while he's throwing his sword, he's vulnerable. If you're playing as any character other than Zoe, your best bet is to keep circling him until he throws his sword, then fire off the more potent of the two combos possible with the fully rune-powered Sword of Ianna. You'll likely have just enough time to fire it off before he is ready to throw his sword again. If you're playing as Zoe, then you are actually fast enough to move in close and unleash pretty much any of your combos, though you might get hit by Dal Gurak while trying to retreat. Either way, keep this up, and he'll eventually go down.
One final note: at some point after Dal Gurak has "come out of his shell", he will heal himself when you've done sufficient damage. It seems to me that he can do this only once, though his total hit points aren't merely restored, they actually increase greatly. Nevertheless, this is a great one-time opportunity to cut loose and wail on this guy no matter which character you're playing. When you see him raise his hands, run in close and deliver your most destructive combo at point-blank range. You'll likely be able to knock all the additional hit points off his total, though you might have to take damage in the process with Tukaram or Nagflar.
After Dal Gurak, I found The Chaos Child a bit more satisfying. The Chaos Child is quite slow in moving but has a number of pretty devastating attacks, an ability to teleport near or far away as needed and a positively stunning number of hit points (something like 81,000 HP if memory serves). Up close, The Chaos Child has a pretty potent melee attack; at just greater than melee range, he has a lightning beam attack that does damage far too quickly if he can keep it focused on you; at still greater range, he can hurl multiple fireballs that do non-trivial damage. He can also teleport so far away that you can't even see him. If he teleports to safety, your first clue where he is might very well be a couple of pinpricks of light on the virtual horizon that are fireballs headed your way.
Despite his abilities, though, The Chaos Child can be taken in a good straight-up fight. When his introductory cut-scene finishes, I suggest stepping directly forward and wailing on him. You'll likely get in the first attack, or else he'll teleport. If you do get in the first attack, then he will likely try to engage you in melee combat, to which he is probably most vulnerable. As always, avoid his attacks—they do a lot of damage!—and come in close to nail him with your best combos. Potions of power will probably be useless as he isn't likely to give you time to drink them unless he also gives you too much ground to cover before it wears off. If he fires up the lightning attack, circle him for all you're worth and don't stop until he does. That beam can be lethal.
At some point, The Chaos Child will teleport away. When he disappears, start looking around and stay on your guard as he sometimes teleports right back behind you. When you see the incoming fireballs, run toward them. He seems to enjoy hiding amidst the pillars you passed at the bottom of the Abyss on the way to his chamber. At this point, he'll likely appear long enough to hurl some fireballs, then teleport elsewhere. The easiest way to handle this is to fire off one of the combos with the Sword of Ianna, then dodge for cover. If you're playing as Zoe, however, you'll actually be quick enough to get up close and cut him before he disappears. Perhaps it's possible with the other characters, but I kind of doubt it from my own experiences.
At any rate, once you've whittled down his completely ridiculous health to an only halfway ridiculous value (i.e., somewhere around 40,000 HP), The Chaos Child will change his tactics. And to be more specific, he will become even more dangerous. At this point, he will begin using an improved fireball spell that actually tracks the target. When you see those three fireballs homing in, don't hesitate for a moment, just run for cover. Alternately, he may launch a single red, magical ball that tracks its target then implodes with incredible destructive force. This is not an attack you can likely withstand. Do anything to avoid it. It can do enough damage to kill you in one shot depending upon your hit points. Finally, The Chaos Child may decide simply to call down a meteor storm on your head, and this too is a storm that follows you. When the rocks start to drop, run like crazy and don't stop until they do. In the midst of all this, of course, you'll be hard pressed to get off a combo of any kind, let alone close for melee combat though it is possible.
Once The Chaos Child is beaten, you'll be treated to what I think is one of the most artistically satisfying and visually beautiful ending sequences. This is followed by a wonderfully short yet expressive cut-scene back at the Temple of Ianna before the credits roll. Good job, hero, you've vanquished the forces of chaos and darkness from the world! Well, until next time...